


Hear My Heartbeat

by bearcantwrite



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Love, Fluff, Hospitals, One Shot, Other, Redemption, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Siblings, deafness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 22:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14066670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearcantwrite/pseuds/bearcantwrite
Summary: Just looking at Morris gave Oscar memories of ten years ago, when Morris was looking exactly like he was now, when little five-year-old Oscar was told the news that made his heart drop, when Oscar stayed up all night clinging to Morris and sobbing, because it wasn’t like Morris would be able to hear him cry.





	Hear My Heartbeat

When Morris was six years old, he became deaf.

It was an average day like any other. Recess was Morris Delancey’s favorite part of the day, it’s when he could be in solitude with Oscar, his five-year-old brother, and at least watch him. Oscar had convinced Morris to climb up on the jungle gym with him and play pretend. Morris figured, what’s he got to lose?

Only twenty minutes later did Morris fall.

Another kid or two climbed up to go down the slide, only for Morris to lose his footing and fall a couple feet to the ground. After that, everything had went black.

Oscar immediately started freaking out when he slid down the pole on the jungle gym and realized his brother wasn’t waking up. Lucky enough, two teachers ran over but coaxed Oscar back to give Morris room. Oscar was crying, no doubt - he was scared.

A teacher tried to soothe him, but Oscar wouldn’t let her touch him. He just wanted Morris, he just wanted his big brother, but a couple minutes later he was being led away by the hand of another adult. He was being asked questions on what he saw happened, if Morris had any other injuries beforehand, everything was too overwhelming.

Before long, Wiesel had arrived on the scene and scooped up Oscar in his arms, holding him tight. Oscar was shivering and crying into his uncle’s shoulder, whimpering and watching Morris be taken away into an ambulance as Wiesel was talking with another adult. Oscar didn’t remember much of what they were saying, but he could tell Wiesel was trying his hardest not to choke up either as they sat inside the ambulance in silence.

Morris laid on the stretcher bed, his head and left ankle propped up, his eyes closed, a small gash behind his ear that was being pressed against by a cloth. Morris was unconscious all the way to the emergency room until he finally began to stir. The room was oddly silent as he groaned and rubbed his eyes, to find various tubes in his arms. A nurse walked into the room and said something....or at least mouthed something. “What?” Morris said. Or...tried to say. He couldn’t hear himself. Strange.

Only a few tests later did the horrible truth sink in. Morris learned he was deaf in both ears from head trauma, and simply sunk back into his bed, his face in the pillow. He didn’t realize Oscar was in the room until he felt a weight bounce onto the bed.

Oscar was beaming widely and hugging his brother tight once he sat up. “MoMo!!!” He cheered, happy his brother was okay. He then presented something that was hidden behind his back: an adorable, soft, brown bear that held a red heart in which small, white, cursive letters spelled out: “Much Love”. Morris simply took the bear and softly pet through its fluffy fur, not looking at Oscar. “It’s for you!” Oscar bounced where he sat and giggled. Morris didn’t look up. “MoMo?” Oscar tilted his head to the side. “Why ain’t’cha lookin’?” He tapped on Morris’s arm and waited patiently, he knew Morris sometimes took a while to respond, so he’s been learning to wait for Morris.

He waited a minute or so until Morris finally peeked up, and then he began to talk again, “The bear’s for you! Uncle ‘n I picked it out for ya! Well, I did, but he helped and—... Mo?” Morris didn’t seem to be actually listening to Oscar. He just...watched Oscar talk. “Mo, what’s wrong?” Morris don’t answer. “Morris!” He said a little louder, thinking his brother didn’t hear. “MoMooooo...?”

Instead of Morris answering, a nurse gently tapped on Oscar’s shoulder. “Hi there, Oscar,” she spoke sweetly, yet sadness shone in her eyes. “Could you follow me?” Oscar nodded and hopped off the bed, now noticing Wiesel was in the room. He was just...staring at the ground, tuning out the rest of the world.

Oscar let the nurse guide him by the hand and looked up at her. “What is it?”

The nurse took a deep breath and bit her lip, as if unsure how to word it. “You know your brother is acting strange, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Almost like he isn’t listening?”

“He doesn’t listen. Sometimes I gotta say what I just said again. The doctor said he’s got hearing issues from our mama. He said it was in his genes, so I told him to wear pajamas all day so he could hear better.” 

“Well...ever since your brother took that big fall today, he hit his head very hard and became deaf.”

Oscar just stared blankly. “Huh?” was all he asked.

“Being deaf means you can’t hear anything at all.”

Oscar’s eyes widened with a kind of sadness that’s never been seen before. “What?!! Well, but...but he can just take medicine, right? He can get better?”

The nurse shook her head, pained to even bring it up. “I’m sorry, honey, but as of now, there’s nothing we can do. He can’t get better from this.”

Oscar clenched his fists. It was clear he wanted to scream, cry, do _something._ But all he did was just turn around and sit on Morris’s bed again. He clung to his big brother and sobbed when he felt arms around him. “I’m sorry...” he whimpered in a broken voice. “I’m sososo sorry, MoMo...”

Oscar had ended up staying the night at the hospital. He refused to leave Morris’s side. Even when another adult came in and started asking Oscar questions about how he felt, what he thought about, what his home life was like, Oscar stayed close to his big brother. Oscar had fallen asleep beside Morris, still sniffling throughout the night.

But Morris couldn’t sleep. This new concept was so terrifying to him: Morris wasn’t going to hear ever again. He was never gonna hear his baby brother tell funny jokes or blab to him about his day, he was never gonna hear their favorite songs in the car and dance along with Oscar. He traced a finger along the stitches behind his ear - and winced - and felt tears brim his eyes. Worst thing was, Oscar probably felt bad about this. Morris wasn’t sure how he’d be able to live like a normal kid.

Even throughout the years, Oscar and Morris were still never used to Morris’s deafness. Oscar had to shake Morris awake instead of their alarm clocks. The both of them - and Wiesel - had to learn sign language to communicate with each other. Morris never thought he’d say this, but he almost _missed_ when certain noises were too loud. At least he had the capacity to _hear_ them.

High school was easy enough. Morris had picked up lip reading, so even without sign language he could learn a thing or two about what someone was saying. Even though Morris grew older and more used to the silence in his ears, he still knew when people gave him shit, and it pissed him off.

The summer after his junior year changed everything.

A year or so ago, Morris saw the words “hearing aid” leave Wiesel’s lips from a phone call, and whenever he tried to bring it up, Wiesel brushed it off as nothing and ignored any other attempts to get further answers.

But just after Morris left junior year, Wiesel sat both him and Oscar down in the living room and asked, “Morris, do you wanna get surgery?”

Both Morris and Oscar didn’t know what the fuck Wiesel was on about. But when Wiesel explained, he told them he had gotten a phone call earlier today saying Morris was finally able to get surgery for a hearing aid that would enhance his hearing. Morris and Oscar were...speechless for a few moments. A hearing aid? Was this some kind of trick? An affirmative look in their uncle’s eyes showed this was, indeed, not a trick. With slow nods and wide eyes, Morris couldn’t help to reach over and squeeze his brother’s arm in an intent of disbelief, yet ecstasy.

The day of the surgery had arrived. Morris couldn’t even think about eating or drinking anything, there were so many butterflies in his stomach. As Oscar watched his older brother be wheeled away from his room in the hospital down the hall, he couldn’t stand still. Wiesel suggested going out somewhere to eat, to which Oscar complied graciously despite barely even touching his food.

Two hours later, Oscar was back in the hospital once again sitting beside Morris, who laid asleep with different tubes in his arms. Just looking at Morris gave Oscar memories of ten years ago, when Morris was looking exactly like he was now, when little five-year-old Oscar was told the news that made his heart drop, when Oscar stayed up all night clinging to Morris and sobbing, because it wasn’t like Morris would be able to hear him cry. Nothing but pure silence filled the room. Oscar wondered, was this what being deaf was like? Just nothing but silence? Not even hearing the beating of your own heart or your own breath? Oscar wasn’t sure.

Then, he noticed something. Movement. Morris’s hand twitched a little. Oscar gently brushed his fingers against Morris’s arms for encouragement, and watched nervously as Morris opened his eyes. The two made eye contact for a little while, unsure what to say or do. Then, Oscar said something. Something very soft, very faint, but still something. “Mo...?”

Morris’s eyes went wide and he sat upright, much to the weakness of his body protesting. “S-Say...” he murmured, his voice broken from not using it properly in a couple years, his eyes widening further. “Say that again...”

Oscar felt hope lift in his heart. “MoMo..?” He said a little louder.

Morris started crying. Morris usually wasn’t the emotional one of the thug duo, but he suddenly pulled Oscar into his arms and smiled through his tears. “H-Hey...hey, Ossy...”

Oscar started crying too, but he too, was grinning and laughing as he hugged his brother tightly. “It’s been a while...”

“Damn right.”

“H-How d’ya feel...?”

“My left ear’s still not all the’h...b-but the nurse said it w-would be a while. Good to hear your annoyin’ voice again.” The two snickered as Oscar playfully - lightly - punched Morris’s arm, to which Morris ruffled his baby brother’s hair.

The two eventually had to be separated so Wiesel could get a chance to talk to Morris, but being separated barely even mattered. The brothers couldn’t control the grins on their faces. Maybe life would be a little easier. Morris wasn’t completely deaf now. He wasn’t cured for sure, but Oscar could live with that. He could live with Morris being mildly deaf in one ear. He didn’t care, all he cared was that life was going to be a little more normal again.


End file.
